Conservatives turning the tide on EU red tape

Conservative MEPs have succeeded in securing cross-party and multi-national support for a comprehensive blueprint to boost business and job-creation across Europe.

After detailed negotiation, Conservative employment spokesman Anthea McIntyre secured the backing of a majority of the European Parliament's Employment Committee for her report on "Creating a Hospitable Environment for Enterprises, Businesses and Start-ups to Create Jobs".

In the past the committee has become notorious for promoting red-tape regulation such as the Agency Workers Directive which impedes job-creation and stifles growth. So much so that many critics have labelled it the UN-employment committee.

Miss McIntyre said today: "With the help of like-minded colleagues on this committee, I believe we are finally starting to focus its attention on creating the right conditions for enterprise to thrive and create jobs, instead of just impeding small businesses and entrepreneurs. I see this potentially as a significant change in the direction of travel of this committee and one I would encourage.

"People here are finally starting to realise that it is businesses which create jobs – not EU job-creation projects and certainly not socialist employment legislation."

The report highlights that businesses can only create jobs and recruit more people if the market allows for it and if they can rely on a qualified workforce. It notes that labour markets also need to be sufficiently flexible and labour costs in line with productivity.

Benefit systems need to make work attractive, regulation must be proportionate and evidence-based.

The report acknowledges major challenges and seeks to address a number of issues including how the EU and member states can improve access to finance, promote entrepreneurship and develop better regulation. It says that central to this is the need to create the right regulatory environment by removing unnecessary barriers which impose disproportionate costs on businesses and inhibit their ability to grow, create jobs and compete globally.

Miss McIntyre said: "Our Conservative Government through its highly-effective Red Tape Taskforce is championing a business-led approach to stripping away regulatory burden across Europe. The rest of Europe is starting to listen.

"It is another example of the way our message of reform is beginning to take hold in Europe. We are turning the tide and showing that powers and money can start to flow back from Brussels instead of inexorably to the centre."